David Longaberger

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David Longaberger, American businessman who created an empire as the visionary founder (1973) of the Longaberger Co., renowned primarily for the heirloom-quality craftsmanship of its handmade maple baskets; though he did not graduate from high school until age 21 and dealt with a stuttering problem, Longaberger carried on the basketmaking tradition begun by his father, J.W. Longaberger, and prepared for the 25-year anniversary of his company in 1998 by opening (late 1997) an office building in the shape of a market basket, one of the company’s signature designs (b. Dec. 7, 1934, Dresden, Ohio—d. March 17, 1999, near Newark, Ohio).